US embassy cable - 92RANGOON2496

C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 02496 
 
 
STATE FOR EAP/TB AND INR/B 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR 
TAGS:  PGOV, PINR, EFIS, BM, TH 
SUBJECT:  CORRUPTION AND THE BURMESE JUNTA 
 
REF:  91 RANGOON 3469 
 
1.  CONFIDENTIAL ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  DURING A RECENT LENGTHY TALK WITH CHARGE, A 
LEADING THAI BUSINESSMAN WITH OVER 100 FISHING BOATS 
PLYING BURMESE WATERS PROVIDED CHAPTER AND VERSE ON 
CORRUPTION AMONG RANGOON'S RULING GENERALS.  ADMITTING 
THAT HE PERSONALLY MULES IN ABOUT 50,000 DOLLARS IN 
CASH DURING WEEKLY TRIPS TO BURMA, THE ENTREPRENEUR 
SAID THAT PERHAPS 15 PERCENT OF THIS MONEY WAS 
EARMARKED FOR PAYOFFS TO SENIOR GENERALS.  (THE 
REMAINDER GOES TO THE GOB FOR FISHING RIGHTS.) 
 
3.  DILATING ON WHO GETS WHAT, THE THAI BUSINESSMAN 
NOTED THAT FORMER MINISTER FOR FISHERIES LIEUTENANT 
GENERAL CHIT SWE HAD LONG BEEN THE "PRIME RECIPIENT". 
"TAUGHT BY THE THAI", HE SAID, "THE MINISTER HAS AN 
EXQUISITE SENSE AS TO HOW TO RECEIVE A BRIBE AND YET 
PRESERVE SOME DEGREE OF DENIABILITY."  ACCORDINGLY, 
CHIT SWE DECLINES ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS WITH THAI 
BUSINESSMEN, INSISTING THAT ALL DISCREET DEALINGS BE 
WITH HIS SON WHO ALSO ESCORTS DEPARTING ENTREPRENEURS 
THROUGH CUSTOMS WITHOUT THE USUAL CHECKS AS PART OF 
THE FAMILY'S SERVICES.  COMMENT:  MOST RECENTLY, CHIT 
SWE'S SON CAME TO THE AIRPORT ON 20 MINUTES NOTICE TO 
SQUIRE A GROUP OF SOME 60 THAI ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH 
CUSTOMS. 
 
4.  AS FOR OTHER DEALINGS WITH MEMBERS OF THE RULING 
STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL (SLORC), THE 
BUSINESSMAN OBSERVED THAT ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF TIN 00 
WAS ALSO A RECIPIENT OF DIVERSE GRATUITIES.  HOWEVER, 
MAJOR GENERAL TIN 00 HAD A REPUTATION FOR 
"RENEGOTIATING DEALS AND OTHERWISE BEING DIFFICULT". 
MOREOVER, EVER SINCE HIS TEENAGE SON HAD RECEIVED A 
MERCEDES BENZ FOR BROKERING ONE DEAL AND TAKEN TO 
DRIVING IT AROUND TOWN, TIN 00 HAS BEEN UNDER CLOSE 
SCRUTINY BY THE BURMESE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE (DDSI) 
WHOSE AGENTS CONDUCT SPOT CHECKS ON HIS RESIDENCE. 
COMMENT:  ACCORDING TO THIS BUSINESSMAN AND ANOTHER 
SOURCE, INTELLIGENCE CHIEF KHIN NYUNT FORCED TIN 00 TO 
TURN THE MERCEDES BENZ OVER TO THE GOB. 
 
5.  WHILE HIS OWN BUSINESS DEALINGS DO NOT INVOLVE ANY 
OF THE JUNTA'S TRUE HEAVYWEIGHTS, THE THAI 
ENTREPRENEUR NOTED THAT SEVERAL OF HIS PEERS HAVE HAD 
DEALINGS WITH KHIN NYUNT'S WIFE -- WHO HAS A FONDNESS 
FOR EXPENSIVE JEWELRY -- AND WITH THE SON OF NEW HEAD 
OF STATE THAN SHWE.  IN BOTH INSTANCES, GRATUITIES 
HAVE ESSENTIALLY BEEN LIMITED TO COMPARATIVELY MODEST 
GIFTS AS A REWARD FOR INFLUENCE PEDDLING.  DESPITE 
THAN SHWE'S APRIL 23 PROMOTION, THE BUSINESSMAN 
DOUBTED THAT BURMA'S NEW LEADER WOULD "ENRICH HIMSELF 
UNDULY ON THE JOB" OR "ALLOW CORRUPTION BY OTHER 
GENERALS TO INCREASE".  IN THIS REGARD, THE 
BUSINESSMAN OBSERVED THAT GENERAL THAN SHWE LIVED 
AUSTERELY EVEN BY BURMESE STANDARDS AND HAD LITTLE USE 
FOR SUCH WESTERN LUXURIES AS AIR CONDITIONING. 
 
 
HUDDLE